Man on a mission

Patrick “Pato” Gregorio may have been the chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for only two months, but he had already done a lot, proving that he is the right person to lead the government’s sports agency.

Indeed, Gregorio hit the ground running.

Barely 72 hours since he was appointed on 1 July, he already huddled with other members of the PSC board of commissioners in Matthew “Fritz” Gaston, Olivia “Bong” Coo, Walter Torres and Edward Hayco to plot some reforms that will boost the morale of Filipino athletes.

The early discussion yielded an outcome that members of the national team had been praying for since 2016. In short, in just 72 hours in office, Gregorio achieved what other PSC leaders failed to do in the past decade.

“We realized that so many athletes are still getting P10,000 a month. That’s lower than the minimum wage,” said Gregorio, whose first order of business was to increase the allowance of the national athletes by P5,000.

“Across the board, starting August, P5,000 per athlete, P5,000 per coach.”

His move — simple but decisive — drew smiles from those who had grown accustomed to surviving on stipends that barely covered their needs. For him, it was more than just a policy — it was a statement.

“This is not a political play. This comes from the bottom of our hearts,” he said, stressing that his marching orders came from no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

But the sense of care did not stop at stipends. Gregorio also stressed that the PSC is ready to improve its services on and off the playing field.

“I have talked to the NSA (national sports association) Affairs, and it will be open 24/7 to cater to the needs of our athletes. From the clinic to the ambulance, the NSA Affairs will always be available to serve,” said the 57-year-old Gregorio, who knows what the athletes need being a former NSA leader and a ranking Philippine Olympic Committee executive.

Gregorio said seeing how happy the athletes are with his sweeping changes is more than enough.

“I saw in the faces of our national athletes that they’re smiling and excited. If they are happy, I am happy,” Gregorio said, his words carrying the sincerity of someone who has spent decades in the sports world and understands the language of athletes.

“We will not stop making our athletes happy — this is all for them.”

But happiness could not be measured by medals alone. Gregorio, who cut his teeth in the hospitality industry before succeeding Richard “Dickie” Bachmann as chairman of the government sports agency, knows that genuine happiness comes from a sense of security, dignity, and recognition of the sacrifices that athletes endure.

That’s why his first month became a whirlwind of reforms, policy reviews, and personal engagements with various stakeholders.

One of his plans was to professionalize the NSAs by assigning specific people to handle liquidation and organization with the goal of eliminating inefficiencies that often left athletes and coaches frustrated.

Gregorio’s approach has been hands-on and deeply personal.

He does not shy away from acknowledging the broader challenges beyond sports that even President Marcos pointed out how lifestyle issues affect Filipinos in his State of the Nation Address.

“On the other hand, we see our countrymen 20 years old and above gaining weight. So, we have to make sure that they have an active lifestyle every day,” the President said.

Upon hearing the Chief Executive’s order, the PSC immediately carried it out with Gregorio opening the track ovals in their three major hubs: Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila, the Philsports Complex in Pasig City and Teacher’s Camp in Baguio City to welcome both competitive and leisure runners from all walks of life.

“With the President’s support, we are certain that our athletes will go farther, climb higher, and smile wider,” Gregorio said.

His words were more than rhetoric — they carried the conviction of someone with decades of experience managing teams, leagues, and corporate sports partnerships before stepping into government service.

His insistence on bridging the gap between grassroots and elite sports also stood out as he reached out to various collegiate leagues to include Olympic sports like gymnastics and weightlifting to their respective programs.

For Gregorio, this is not just about adding an event. It is about correcting a flaw in the sports pipeline.

“We told them: ‘How come you do not have gymnastics in the collegiate level?’” Gregorio said, narrating his discussion with top officials of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“The young athletes who started in the Palarong Pambansa and youth programs had no choice but to transfer to cheerdance. They assured me that starting next year, these major tournaments will introduce gymnastics as part of their program.”

The significance of that decision lies in what Gregorio calls the “sports value chain.”

“It’s extremely important. We need to connect the value chain — and for me, that value is defined as the connection from grassroots to high performance,” he said.

“The missing links are our universities and colleges. That’s where the sports value chain gets cut off.”

By insisting that schools play a larger role, Gregorio aims to prevent the wastage of talent that often occurs when athletes are forced to abandon their discipline for lack of competitive opportunities.

“It’s a waste of time if we don’t do what we are supposed to do,” he said, a remark that captures both his frustration at the status quo and his determination to fix it.

Gregorio’s first month may have been a blur of meetings, pronouncements and initiatives, but the changes he introduced already sparked a shift in the mood of the sports community.

Athletes are smiling again, coaches are hopeful, and stakeholders are starting to believe that the PSC is moving in a new direction.

Now, the challenge is how to sustain the momentum.

But the hardworking Gregoriio is ready. After all, he is a man on a mission and he is ready to carry it out no matter how hard, no matter how long, it takes.

“We will not stop making our athletes happy — lahat ito para sa kanila,” Gregorio said.